We're Going on an Adventure!
by JellyBabiesareDeadly
Summary: Anna Wilson's life is boring. Just plain boring. Finally sick of it all, she inadvertantly goes on a bigger adventure than she ever thought was possible. Pippin x OC


As the old, run down school bus rumbled into view, she sighed. Another boring day of school was over. She had had more than her fill of lessons, timetables, stupid kids and loudmouthed teachers.

She boarded the bus in a slow, laboured fashion, tired from the day.

"Oi! Hurry up!" shrieked the driver, hasty to get away.

"Sorry, sorry," she replied self-consciously, sinking into the nearest seat.

The ride home seemed to last for aeons. As the bus finally pulled into her stop, she filed out of the bus along with a few other kids. Breaking free from the little crowd, she continued on down the dusty road, reaching her house within a matter of minutes.

As she opened the front door, another sigh escaped. Why? What was the point of it all? Life just wasn't interesting anymore. All she seemed to do was get up, go to school, come home, eat and then sleep. The whole damned cycle just repeated itself over and over like a broken record, offering no chance of salvation from its dull, ritualistic clutches.

As she sat down to dinner that night, her three cheery younger siblings only served to irritate her more. As they bounced about her, making immature noises and gestures with their half-eaten food, she finally cracked.

"Just shut up, will you! I'm tired of all your bloody racket! Pipe down!"

The din immediately stopped. Her mother, obviously quite distressed and disappointed, said:

"Anna! That is no way to talk to your younger brothers. Please go to your room right now."

Her littlest brother poked his tongue out at her as she left the room in a huff. She silently screamed in frustration as the stomped up the stairs, down the hall and into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

She slumped down onto her bed, shouting violently into her pillow. It just wasn't fair! Why couldn't she just be allowed to vent her feelings every now and again? Their life was too boring anyway.

She eventually fell asleep, frustrated and upset with both her family and herself. She dreamed very little that night, but her sleep was still fitful and light. When she finally stirred for good, she realised that something wasn't quite right.

She opened her eyes and rolled over groggily. Her surrounds were pitch black, so, assuming that everyone else was fast asleep, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and placed her feet gently on the floor.

Which was now soaking wet.

And squishy.

And ticklish against her bare feet.

She drew her legs back in surprise, wiping her fingertips gently along the soles of her feet. Her hands came away damp and muddy. As she squished the dirt through her fingers, she realised that she must be dreaming and heaved a sigh of relief.

She swivelled around and lay back down in the bed, attempting to fall asleep so that she could wake up properly.

To her surprise, no sleep came.

For several hours.

Eventually, she nodded off.

When she awoke again, she could see light through her half-shut eyes.

_Finally, morning, _thought she.

She opened her eyes fully, blinking and rubbing her face as she sat up.

As she finally managed to get all the sleep out of her eyes, she placed her feet on the floor.

Which was still wet and muddy.

As her bleary vision gradually cleared, she saw that she was in a large, open field.

Correction. Her and her bed were in a large open field, and she was dressed only in a thin nightie and shorts.

It was indeed morning, but she certainly wasn't in her comfortable, familiar bedroom anymore.

* * *

As she took full stock of her surroundings, she saw a small, excited man bounding towards her.

Actually, a very small man. Tiny, in fact. He was wearing a thigh-length green jacket, short trousers held up by braces and his large, hairy feet were bare.

"Who are you? Are you all right?" asked he in a brisk, light Scottish burr.

Anna stood up tentatively, realising that she all but towered over the strange fellow.

"M-my name is Anna, and I'm fine. A little shaken, but unharmed. Where am I?

"Why, you're in the Shire! Hobbiton, to be exact. This is the south field," he answered, his blue eyes sparkling mischievously.

"B-but, I was in my bedroom! Asleep! Dreaming…"

"Ah, someone must've played a nasty trick on you, dragging your bed all the way out here in the middle of the night. Where do you live?"

"Melbourne! In Victoria…"

"Victoria? Where's that?"

She uttered a short, mocking bark.

"Where's Victoria? Ha! Is your brain as tiny as your stature, little man? I'm off to find someone with some common sense."

She turned and walked briskly down the hill. The man, shocked, ran after her in a panic. He caught up to her, tugging on her sleeve.

"Wait, miss! I don't know where or what Victoria is! We are currently in Hobbiton, West Farthing, the Shire, Middle Earth! I haven't a clue as to what you're going on about! Please, slow down!"

She finally complied with his frantic urgings, halting in a huff.

"Stop this stupid joke, okay? Enough is enough. I don't know who you are, but I do know that you and my ridiculous brothers are playing a prank on me, and I'm tired of it. Although, I don't know how you four managed to carry my bed all the way out here in the night."

"I'm playing no jokes, all right? I honestly don't know who you are or where you appeared from, but you're clearly not from around here. Please, look around you. This is not your Victoria, or whatever strange place you come from."

She looked around herself properly for the first time, and gasped in wonder. Many more little people like him milled about over tiny single tracks. Small round doors were set into hillsides around the valley, and various farm animals grazed in tiny paddocks. All of the people, she noticed, were small, round and cheerful, with unusually large feet and ears. They seemed like creatures out of a fairy story. The whole scene did. She suddenly felt dizzy and overwhelmed with all the colours and new sights. She began to wobble on her feet, and collapsed in a heap in the lane, everything going black.

* * *

"Hello? Anna? Are you there?"

A small voice wavered its way into her brain, and she opened her eyes slowly to come face-to-face with the man she had met before.

"Bilbo! She's awake!" he called over his shoulder.

Another small man rushed over, saying:

"Here, help me sit her up, will you?"

They wrapped their arms around her shoulders and pulled her up into a sitting position. She looked around, realising that she was inside a small, warm, round room filled with books and parchments. A glowing fire crackled in the corner.

"How are you, my girl? That was a nasty shock you got, I suppose. I'm Bilbo Baggins, and this is Peregrin Took. He's told me all about you," he remarked.

"I'm all right now, thanks. But I still have no idea where I am or who you are!"

"Aye, well, I'm Peregrin, as Mr Baggins told you. But you can call me Pippin. Most do," answered Pippin.

"You are currently inside Bilbo Baggins's sitting room, in Bag End. These two fine gentlemen are hobbits. And you are, judging by your size and physique, a human. Correct?" asked a deep, melodious voice.

The owner of the voice walked over and stood next to her. He was tall, elegant and elderly, his long silver beard reaching down to his waist.

"Yes, I'm human. Hobbits? What are hobbits? And who are you?" asked Anna confusedly.

"Hobbits are an ancient race derived from humans such as you. My name is Gandalf, and I am a wizard," said he.

"Is this some sort of ridiculous, far-fetched joke? If it is, I've had enough. And I want to go home," grumbled Anna in distaste.

Pippin turned to Bilbo.

"See! She thinks that we're joking with her! Tell her Gandalf!" he cried.

"I assure you, Anna, that this is no joke. We are just as confused as you are about things, but I will aim to get things sorted out," said Gandalf sternly.

Bilbo seemed to be in a bit of a hasty mood. He turned to Gandalf and said quietly:

"Gandalf, I know that all of this is important, but what about the party? We only have a few hours left until it begins!"

"All in good time, my dear fellow. For now, I need to attend to Anna. Get her back home. Unless she wants to stay for the party…"

At this he turned to Anna.

"Would you like to?"

"Party? For whom?"

"It's my one-hundred-and-eleventy-first birthday today," interjected Bilbo.

"Oi! And my thirty-third!" came a voice from the kitchen.

A dark haired hobbit peeped his head around the doorway.

"Anna, may I introduce Frodo, my nephew," said Bilbo indulgently.

Anna waved to him shyly, and he waved back jovially before ducking back into the kitchen.

"Anybody fancy some tea?" called Frodo.

"Mmm, please!" Pippin called back.

"Yes thank you, Frodo," rumbled Gandalf off-handedly, his face buried in a large, yellowing manuscript.

"Anna?" inquired Bilbo.

"Uh, yeah. Please. I suppose I could do with something normal for a change," she replied.

"And one for Anna and I, Frodo!" said Bilbo loudly.

"Right-o!" came the voice of Frodo, busying himself with the kettle.

"Ah! Here it is! Anna, my dear, come here," said Gandalf kindly.

She got up shakily and slowly made her way over to the wizard. Finding that standing was too difficult in her present state, she sat down rather un-elegantly, and crossed her legs slowly and sorely.

"Now, I've found a certain incantation that will return you to wherever and whenever you came from. Would you like me to use it now, or would you like to stay a while? I'm sure Pippin and Frodo would be more than happy to show you around."

"Umm, well…if it's not too much bother, I think I'll stay awhile. As long as you can guarantee that I'll get home safely," replied Anna.

"Of course. Pippin?"

Pippin's head turned swiftly towards the wizard.

"Aye?"

"Would you and Frodo mind taking Anna out for a stroll?"

"No, not at all! Frodo!" called Pippin, craning his neck towards the kitchen.

Pippin rummaged in his pocket and drew out a long, thin pipe and a small linen sack. Packing the contents of the sack into the bowl of the pipe, he drew out a match, struck it on the slate of the hearth and let the flame sizzle over the bowl. Puffing on it contentedly, he called again:

"Frodo!"

"Yes?"

"Come on! We're going out!"

"But I just finished making the tea!"

"Forget the tea!"

"B-but…"

"C'mon!"

"Oh, all right."

Pippin rose from his chair and crossed the room, offering his hand to Anna, who took it gladly. Pippin pulled her to her feet.

Frodo had joined the pair by then, and the two hobbits were eagerly ushering her out the door when Gandalf's low, luxurious voice rumbled towards them.

"Frodo…aren't you forgetting something?"

"Forgetting what, Gandalf?"

"If you haven't noticed, Anna isn't really dressed for walking."

Frodo looked at her thin pyjamas.

"You're right. Come with me, I'll find you something to wear."

He led her down the halls of Bag End until they reached a small blue door, which he opened, revealing a small room overflowing with clothing.

Several minutes later, Frodo and Anna reappeared; Anna dressed in a pair of short brown trousers and a loose white shirt. Two woolly hats were strapped to her feet.

"Frodo, why's she wearing hats on her feet?" asked Pippin, giggling quietly to himself.

"She's got different feet than you, young Peregrin; far more delicate. She won't be able to walk properly without some form of protection," said Gandalf from the doorway.

"And these were the only things that would fit. Anyway, stop your giggling. We're going for a walk," added Frodo a tad testily.

The three walked out of the hole into the warm afternoon. Sunlight glinted off the grass as they walked along, Frodo and Pippin pointing out interesting things to her in turn.

* * *

"I can barely believe that all of this is real! That I'm not stuck in some strange dream…" remarked Anna quietly, "and that creatures like you two actually exist! The fact that I can actually physically touch you two, that you're not some strange pair of apparitions, is mind boggling enough! Not to mention the fact that this whole place looks as though it comes from a fairy tale!"

"It's just as surreal for us, Anna. We don't get very many big folk around these parts," said Pippin thoughtfully.

"C'mon you two! Stop dawdling around back there! I've got something to show you!" called Frodo from up ahead.

"We'd better see what he wants. Come along!" sighed Pippin, grasping Anna's hand and leading down the path.

The two rounded the bend to see Frodo standing waist deep in water.

"What on earth are you doing Frodo? You don't swim!" exclaimed Pippin.

"Well, not very well, but it's a warm day and I thought that you two would fancy a cool off. Besides, look at the pool! It's beautiful!"

Anna did, realising that Frodo was right. The pool was deep, clear and clean. Almost perfect. A small waterfall trickled down off the rocks into the water. Ferns and small plants fringed the edges of the pool, casting tiny delicate shadows in the late afternoon sunlight.

She was snapped out of her reverie by the sound of Pippin's enthusiastic voice.

"Anna? Anna?"

"Hmm? What?"

"Would you like to go for a swim? Are you feeling up to it?"

"Uh, sure. Yeah. Love to."

Pippin smiled in response, shedding his jacket and unclipping his braces. He unbuttoned his trousers, kicking them away. Wearing his shirt and undershorts, he took a few steps back and ran towards the pool, leaping in with an excited whoop and splashing Anna thoroughly.

Frodo had done the same, and the two called out to Anna happily:

"You have to come in! The water feels fantastic!"

"Yeah, Anna! Come on!"

She pulled the hats off her feet, stripped herself of the trousers and dove into the pool in her pyjama shorts and shirt, similar to Frodo and Pippin.

She came up, spluttering and coughing, but smiling all the same.

"Doesn't it feel great?" asked Pippin, smiling up at her.

"Yeah, yeah. It does," she answered cheerfully.

The trio swam about happily for a while, splashing each other and doing handstands in the shallower areas of the pool.

"Now that I come to think of it, I haven't had this much fun in ages! We should do this more often, Pippin," remarked Frodo.

"I agree. But the sun's starting to do down. Maybe we should start heading back. Your uncle'd be furious if you missed the party," replied Pippin.

Frodo glanced up at the sun, shielding his face.

"Oh, my word! Sun's nearly completely set! We have to go," exclaimed Frodo.

Pippin nodded, gesturing to Anna to get out of the water. She complied, standing on the wet grass, shivering.

"Oh, your lips have gone blue! Here, take my coat. You'll catch your death," said Pippin concernedly.

"Th-thanks," chattered Anna, drawing the tiny coat over her shoulders.

The three picked up their clothing and walked briskly back up the path, the sun dipping dangerously lower with every step.

"Ugh, Bilbo's going to kill me if we don't hurry up!" grumbled Frodo anxiously

"It's okay, Frodo. We'll make it in time," soothed Pippin.

They finally reached Bag End, Frodo bounding up the path and bursting through the door in a panic.

"Bilbo! Uncle Bilbo! We're back!" he called nervously, Anna and Pippin catching up.

They all walked into the hole, shutting the door behind them.

"Frodo, Pippin! Anna! You've been gone for hours! And you're all soaking wet! Where the devil have you been?" exclaimed Bilbo, trotting towards them briskly.

He was obviously dressed for the party. His best waistcoat and trousers had been donned and his pocket watch had been polished 'til it gleamed.

"The party begins in half an hour and you three ragamuffins come bursting in, soaked to the bone and half-naked! Really Frodo, I'm disappointed in you," said Bilbo brusquely.

"I'm terribly sorry uncle. We lost track of time, I'm afraid. We'll get ready as quick as we can," replied Frodo sheepishly.

The three scurried off under the close scrutiny of Bilbo's ever-watching eyes.

* * *

Pippin ran a hot bath for Anna while he and Frodo went off in search of some suitable clothes to wear.

She shut and locked the bathroom door behind her, stripping off her damp, cold clothes and lowering herself into the hot water with a sigh.

As she was washing her hair, a small, sharp knock sounded at the door.

"Who is it?" called Anna, her voice echoing around the room.

"Erm, it's Pippin. Frodo and I found some clothes for you. May I come in?"

"Well, I'm not really decent at the moment. Just leave the clothes outside the door."

"Right-o."

He placed the clothes down on the floor and sauntered off, whistling.

Anna finished up her bath, grabbed a towel and hopped out, crossing the room and unlocking the door. Checking to see no one was in the passage; she clutched the towel to her chest and scooped up the clothing, disappearing back into the bathroom.

She looked through the clothing to see what the hobbits had picked out for her. A dark green, knee-length floral dress and a light, silky blouse were the main articles in the pile. She also found a small leather drawstring bag that contained two green hair ribbons, a hairbrush and a necklace with a golden flower pendant. They had given her a singlet-like top and a pair of short bloomers too.

She put on the undergarments and shirt easily enough, but the dress was something else. She discovered that the bodice and skirt were two separate pieces that were joined together with several hard-to-reach buttons. Eventually she wrestled the dress on, and, smoothing herself out, she glanced at the back of the dress in the mirror. Damn. Laces.

"Come on Anna! We're going to be late!" called Frodo from the hall.

"Yep! Coming as quick as I can!" she answered back.

_Sod the stupid dress_, _I need to fix my hair, _she thought ruefully.

She hastily combed out her hair into two sections, putting it into two thick braids which she fastened with the ribbons. She put on the necklace quickly and scampered out of the bathroom, blowing out the few candles that had been lit on her way.

"Good, you're here. Bilbo's already gone on ahead. If we're quick we'll be able to catch them halfway through the dancing," said Frodo, smiling at Anna quickly before ducking out the door.

Pippin looked Anna up and down.

"Gosh, umm…you look great!" he said, blushing furiously.

"Thanks. You're not looking too shabby yourself. But I couldn't do the back of the dress up. Do you think you could?" she replied.

"Of course! Turn around."

Anna complied. Pippin laced her dress up quickly and tightly. Then, with his arm around her waist in a friendly way, he escorted her out into the warm summer night.

* * *

When they arrived at Party Field, the village was in full swing. Bright lights and colourful bunting were strung from tree to tree. Tents with tables fully laden with mountains of food were strewn about the place. A circle had been cleared in the middle of the area. Around it were roughly hewn wooden benches that were crowded with elderly hobbits. They were stamping their feet and clapping their hands in time to the music, laughing joyfully as they watched the younger hobbits dancing about in the circle.

A broad smile broke out across Pippin's face.

"Would you care for a dance?" he asked Anna cheerfully.

"I would love to," she replied.

The two linked arms and joined the crush, hopping and jumping about with all the other happy dancers. Anna towered over all the hobbits and Pippin's hand could barely reach her shoulder, but she didn't care. Such was her euphoria.

They danced on until Bilbo, the guest of honour, made his appearance. He hopped nimbly up onto the podium to make his speech.

"C'mon, let's go find somewhere else to sit. I can't be bothered hearing his chatter," said Pippin quietly to Anna, his eyes glinting in the moonlight.

"Okay."

They scampered quietly off up the hill, sitting down on a rock. Fireworks crackled and flashed in the night sky, no doubt a bit of Gandalf's handiwork.

Pippin watched Anna closely. She seemed transfixed, almost mesmerised by the brilliant display of pyrotechnics.

Summoning up all of his courage, he slid closer to her and gave her a small peck on the cheek.

She immediately broke out of her trance and backed away from Pippin in surprise.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing?" she exclaimed, a mixture of shock and a tiny bit of pleasure on her face.

"Uh, well…" said Pippin, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "I've been wanting to do that for a little while now. You're just so….different to all the girls I know. You're funny, outspoken, bold, and really quite beautiful."

"Well, thanks, I suppose. But give me a little warning next time."

"So you're saying that there's going to be a next time, are you?" he said cheekily.

"Maybe…"

"Is that a yes maybe or a no maybe?"

She laughed at that, and, a broad smile across her face, she leaned in and planted a small but firm kiss on his grinning mouth. He reciprocated, breaking off the kiss after a time to whisper into her ear:

"Why don't you stay in Hobbiton a while, Anna?"

He leaned back and smiled up at her, waiting for her reply.

"Maybe I will, Pippin."

"Maybe I will."


End file.
